The Irregular at Magic High School REDUX
by Shadowplayer360
Summary: An elder brother who is a failure, and a younger sister revered by all. This is the story of the two and their high school life in a world where magic rules above all else...(SYOC Closed)
1. SYOC form (Closed)

_**See the very bottom for updated news...**_

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Magic.

A product that is neither legend nor fairy tale, but a technology of reality since a time unknown to people.

Supernatural power became a technology systematized through magic, while magic became a technical skill. A "Supernatural user" became a "Magic Technician".

These Magic Technicians (or Magicians, for short) are nurtured through Magic High Schools and Universities.

* * *

First High. Home to many hopeful and aspiring magicians who yearn to further their ability to harness this powerful ability in a way to benefit themselves, and/or mankind. Among these many students are a defective elder brother and a perfect younger sister, both enrolled to the same school, but classified in different sections.

They are Shiba Tatsuya and Shiba Miyuki. Two siblings who came from the same mother, yet given such a noticeable difference since their first steps to this Magic High School.

However, a life of peaceful coexistence with the world is nothing but a fantasy. These siblings, along with their friends, are constantly encountered with many dangerous events and occurrences that would be quite unnatural for a simple high school student. Let us take a look into this world of magic, and watch as events unfold…

* * *

**_Alright, let's get things out of the way..._**

**_First, I'm making the claim now, I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY OR ANY CHARACTERS (Except my own OC). This story was made with the intention of being purely entertaining and for all the readers out there. I DO NOT get paid, even if I wanted to, therefore DO NOT HATE ME if for some reason, this story gets taken out because the people in charge do not seem to believe me or seem to just hate me for stupid reasons. But I hope that if you guys are in charge of and are reading this, that you know that I am not trying to steal any credit or anything like that._**

**_Next, Assuming this story will not be taken out for reasons I mentioned before, I cannot promise a regular update. I will try to get in new chapters, but I have other fanfics that also need my attention, and I have my own life to deal with too, so please do know that this may take a while between chapters..._**

**_Finally, Do not worry if things may seem confusing. I will try to make this understandable as well as entertaining, and will also be available to answer any questions you guys may have on the series (or at least I'll do my best). PM me, ask in reviews, or just wait and hope things make sense later on._**

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**_Now then, hopefully you are still here, so let's get started._**

**_A couple things to note here..._**

**_I am not against any idea, as long as it doesn't give a godmod or whatever that makes the whole things stupid. If it seems that way, I shall bring it up with you guys. Don't worry, go ahead and let your secret characters free._**

**_You will see "BS" at some point. That does not stand for that thing you say when something seems stupid (begins with the male counterpart of a cow). That is for "Born-Specialized" which means while you lack the ability to use other magic, you are really great with that one particular magic of your choice._**

**_Romance has no limits. 3 or more people can fall in love with Miyuki or anyone else, and even girls can fall in love with other girls too (after all, there IS Miyuki). I'm just saying that if like 15 people choose Miyuki, then expect at least 14 hearts to be broken as a result. Just saying..._**

**_Now then, the form..._**

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**Name –**

**Age(14 – 18) –**

**Gender -**

**Course –**

**Appearance –**

**Clothing(List casual, formal, and and unique ways he/she may wear their uniform)**

**Personality -**

**Magician Type – (Normal? BS? Unique Circumstances?)**

**Magic-Type –**

**Preferred "Spells"-**

**Friends(optional)-**

**Enemies(optional)-**

**Preferred CAD(What does it look like?)-**

**History (Optional, but I will make up something if you don't put anything in)-**

**Goals(optional)-**

**Romance. Why?(Optional) –**

_**Other -**_

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**_Now then, in case you aren't sure how to do this, I've lazily made an example of what I could expect…_**

**Name – (Name)**

**Age - 14**

**Gender -**

**Course – One**

**Appearance – A slim young man with spiky black long hair styled in a mohawk. His body is fairly muscular and he has a stern face which gives off a very intimidating look. His height and weight are about 5'11" and 141 lbs respectively. He has blue eyes.**

**Clothing(List casual, formal, and any unique ways they may wear their uniform…)-**

**Casual – A black overcoat with dark pants and a pair of pink shoes. Also likes to wear a chain around his neck.**

**Formal – A black suit**

**Personality – Despite an indimidating appearance, he is actually very weak and kind-hearted. He is quite helpful and wants to do whatever it takes to save lives.**

**Magician Type – Normal**

**Magic-Type – He knows a fair amount of magic.**

**Preferred "Spells"- "Reinforcement" and a magic called "Blockade" which allows him to create physical barriers using inorganic materials around him.**

**Friends(optional)- Tatsuya, Leo, Erika**

**Enemies(optional)- Mikihiko, Mibu, Mayumi.**

**Preferred CAD(What does it look like?)-He has a classic wristband-styled CAD, but he also uses a special CAD that is shaped like a glove, to help him use "Reinforcement" and "Blockade".**

**History (Optional, but I will make up something if you don't put anything in) - He wanted to strive for amazing heights in how he would be able to use magic for the good of the community. He made himself seem tough and intimidating in order to seem more reliable.**

**Goals(optional)- To find a great way to help others**

**Romance. Why?(Optional) – Miyuki. Fell in love at first sight.**

**Other –**

* * *

_**So there you go. Finally done. Please PM me the form. While I do take reviews, I would like it if you could try to PM me if possible, since it's a bit easier to keep track of things that way.**_

_**Again, hopefully this doesn't get taken down, and I will update whenever I can...**_

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**Magic for Dummies! (Opening Sequence - Welcome to "Magic for Dummies!")**

_The scene opens in an empty classroom. In the front of the room is a large blackboard with the words "WELCOME!" written on it. Three figures are standing in front of the board wearing First high uniforms. All three of them have black hair, however one is wearing an expressionless face, another gives off a very graceful feel to her, and the last one is crossing his arms._

"Welcome, this is the segment known as 'Magic For Dummies!". You may call me Shiro."

_The expressionless young man gives a small bow_

"Hello. My name is Shiba Tatsuya. Nice to meet you all."

_The graceful one follows Tatsuya's action._

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Shiba Miyuki."

_Shiro gives a small sigh before he continues._

"So we've been tasked with the introductions to this segment. Basically, Shadowplayer is assuming that this story would last without problems, so he decided to do something like this."

"Miyuki and I have been chosen as this opening's guests. However you may expect other familiar characters to take over as well."

"Of course, Onii-sama wouldn't have any trouble giving a lesson about everything in this series by himself."

_Shiro pinches his forehead_

"Miyuki. Please understand that Shadowplayer is trying to make things equally fair for everyone in regards to knowledge..."

"I understand. Please excuse my rudeness..."

"Anyways, so there will be a brief lesson on certain terms or events in the series that people might be confused or lack knowledge on. That's why "Magic for Dummies!" was made in the first place."

_Tatsuya snaps his fingers, causing a piece of paper to appear from thin air as Miyuki gazes with amazement._

"If there is something you are all confused on, or want to talk about, just post it on the 'Reviews' or 'PM' him the details of what you would like to see. Otherwise, he will be starting from the basics."

"P...M...?"

_Miyuki playfully acts like there's she's confused._

"It is short for 'Private Message'. You can do so by clicking on the screen name and choosing 'PM' from the profile."

"I see..."

"Shadowplayer will respond in order of when he recieves the questions, but you can expect some answers to be included in the story as well."

"But what if they aren't sure about whether a question was answered?"

"Then someone can ask."

"Please excuse me, but it seems like a somewhat unreliable method..."

_Shiro chuckles_

"Well until he can think of something better, we can't really do anything about it..."

"I understand..."

"I'm guessing we've gone on long enough. Let's end things here."

"Very well."

"Understood."

_The three figures begin waving their hands_

"""Until next time..."""

* * *

_**Update (7/14/14) -**_

_**The SYOC form is now CLOSED!**_

_**Thank you to everyone who sent in an OC, and I'm very sorry to those who missed the deadline.**_

_**It's only been about a couple days or so since I posted this, but I'm really glad that this took up such a great interest.**_

_**I would've loved to have taken up more characters, but sadly I must draw the line here because I do not have the confidence to use an immeasurable number of OCs.**_

_**I won't make any promises, but I might reopen the forms if I manage to get this going strong. Here's hoping.**_

_**So now I shall start working on the first chapter, and will hopefully get it in by next week. One again, thank you all for the OCs and for those who haven't sent one in, I apoligize and hope that you will still be interested in this fanfic story.**_


	2. Welcome to First High! (Part 1)

_**Probably didn't expect another chapter already, huh? Well here's the first chapter of REDUX...**_

* * *

It was the day of the school entrance ceremony. However there were still a few hours before the start of the new lives for the entire incoming freshman group.

Many of the students who arrived early were either cheerfully talking with their fellow classmates, or getting a good look around at their new school. All those with positive and radiant energy seemed to be excited about furthering their studies and abilities in the world of magic, or perhaps they were secretly (or not so secretly) eager to show off the eight-petal flower emblem on their uniforms. Those emblems were signs of a "Course 1" student, one who has managed to make the "above cut" in First High's entrance exams.

Normally, being a "Course 1" student isn't considered much of a big deal to the public eye, but to the students, and for most of the staff at school, it is considered a huge step compared to those in "Course 2".

"Hey you!"

A young girl with deep green eyes turned around. Her long black messy hair slightly twirled around as she glanced over to the young boy who glared out at her.

The boy had short brown hair that was also slightly messy. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the girl with a look of slight disgust.

"What's a 'Weed' like you doing so early in the morning?"

The girl stared for a moment or two, before looking around and then pointing to herself.

"Yes you!" the boy was obviously aggravated at this point. His teeth stared to gnash together as his clearly defined rage was starting to get worse.

"I'm a student here. My name is Ando Mayu. Nice to meet you…"

Mayu offered her hand out as a sign of good will, but the boy just scoffed and spat at the side of the road. She sighed before withdrawing her hand. It was obvious that the two wouldn't be getting along anytime soon.

"Alright then, to hell with formalities…" The girl with green eyes scratched the back of her head before standing with a somewhat sassy posture. "So why are you calling me out? I haven't done anything wrong…"

"I already told you. I want you to tell me why a 'Weed' like you is wandering around here so early in the morning?"

"Because I want to get a look around? It's a free country you know. Figuratively, of course…"

The boy gave another sharp glare, but he gave an arrogant smirk as he continued. "I guess it's alright. No matter how hard you try to improve yourself, you're just another substitute who's destined to work under the rest of us 'Blooms'"

"I see, I see…" Mayu gave a mocking smile. "well then, may I have the name of the student who's giving me such thoughtful advice?"

"Moriksaki Shun."

"Morisaki… Then I'll keep that name in mind…" She twirled her finger around slowly in a playful manner. "The bull-headed boy who seems to have nothing better to do than claim superiority…"

"What did you say?!"

"No you're right. That's an insult to bulls. Maybe a pit-bull who's marking his territory?"

"Why you…"

Morisaki was about to reach for something in his pocket, but he stopped himself at the last minute and turned away after getting one last look of disdain at the girl's uniform.

Unlike his, which had an emblem on it, there was an empty space where the emblem should have been. This marked the girl as a "Course 2" student. Students who were either considered "average" or "lacking talent", and were mostly raised up as "substitutes"

"Geez…" the girl thought to herself as the boy left. "It seems like things were really worse off than I heard…" she stretched her arms. "Of course, it's not really a big deal to me. As long as I can have some fun, I don't mind playing second fiddle to a bunch of arrogant, stuck-up, snobs." She turned around and started facing the nearest building behind her.

"Now then First High, let's see what kind of plans you've got for us this year!"

* * *

A young boy with sleek white hair that had a single braid at the end, was walking through the courtyard while reading the handbook for the school. His slender build and short stature, paired with his fairly good-looking appearance, almost gave him a feminine feel that would attract both men and women alike. This boy was quietly mumbling to himself, trying to keep track of the rules and information of what he read. Therefore he didn't seem to notice the occasional whispers and gestures that were directed towards him.

"…Course 1 students are separated into three groups….important to fulfill expectations….do not excessively use magic….CAD usage are forbidden unless…"

"Excuse me…"

The boy turned his head up from his book to see a girl with wavy black, medium-lengthed hair lightly running over towards him. He noticed two things about her from a simple glance. The first was that she was the emblem on her uniform which seemed to classify her as a "Course 1" student, like him. The second was that she was about his height, which meant that she was probably shorter than most girls her age. He made mental note to never bring it up, just in case there was some kind of inferiority complex.

"I'm sorry, but do you happen to know when the opening ceremony is supposed to start?"

"It's supposed to be in the auditorium. But you don't need to worry. We still have plenty of time before it starts."

"Oh, thank goodness…" The girl waved over to a couple of other students seemed to be lightly running up towards her. The boy quickly noticed that one of them didn't have the same emblem on his uniform, so he must have been a "Course 2" student instead.

"Well this is quite unexpected…"

While it isn't strange in the public eye, most of the "Course 1" and "Course 2" students are naturally antagonistic against each other, simply because they weren't the same class. "Course 1" students were considered the hopeful ones, and were given the most opportunity because they were considered talented. If a schools was able to produce many talented graduates, then they would receive better funding and be held in a higher regard.

On the other hand, "Course 2" students were either considered "average" or "lucky", and were mostly meant as replacements for any drop-outs or failing "Course 1" students. While providing talented students were important, it was even more important that a school fulfills a certain quota of the number of students that graduate overall. If more people were unable to graduate from a school than last year, people would start questioning the quality of education that a school provides. Therefore, "Course 2" students were meant to make sure that the school doesn't lose any funding.

In other words, "Course 1" and "Course 2" were both fairly important, but "Course 1" was considered treated as a higher regard. That difference in treatment gave birth to the terms "Blooms" and "Weeds", which eventually stirred up the conflict between both groups.

That's why he was surprised to see that a pair of "Course 1" students were alongside a "Weed" so early in the year.

"My name is Aizawa Riko," the "Course 1" student said while extending her hand towards the other two. "These two are Hitsugi Riku and Ikemoto Naoko." She offered a handshake to him. "Nice to meet you."

"Aiba Etsu. Nice to meet you as well…"

Etsu turned his attention towards Riku and Naoko and offered a handshake to each of them as well.

Naoko was the other "Bloom" like himself and Riko. She had straight black hair that grew up to her shoulders, and had a sort of "dainty" feel to her. She also had a pair of red-rimmed glasses that were resting on her forehead, allowing her light brown eyes to be open for public view. Looking closely, he noticed that she also had a silver watch on her right arm and she seemed to be shifting her eyes slightly, as if trying to look at her watch every so often. However he decided to keep that bit of information to himself.

Riku was the "Weed", and therefore the "black sheep" of the trio. He was a fair-skinned boy who seemed to have thick blue eyes that seemed to give off a piercing stare. He had medium-length orange hair that only partially covered his face with two strands, and his uniform was worn with the jacket open and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, so that his arms were open and easily viewed. As they shook hands, Riku gave a smile which revealed a pair of sharp teeth which seemed to resemble a beast's.

After their greetings ended, Etsu decided to ask straight out.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you doing with this 'Course 2' student?"

Riko eyes shifted her eyebrow slightly as she gave a curious look.

"Are you one of **those** people?"

She was referring to the "Blooms" who look down upon "Weeds" because of the apparent difference in their recorded abilities. While this kind of behavior was officially announced to be dissuaded, nearly every student, and even some of the instructors, would still act as such. (Incidentally, "Weeds" and "Blooms" were terms that were never meant to be used to describe the students, but very little was done to stop this, and many people just allowed it to happen).

"Of course not… no wait, you wouldn't really know much about me…" Etsu shook his head gently as he corrected himself. "I cannot prove that I'm not, but I will say that I have nothing against 'Course 2' students. I am simply asking since this seems to be an unusual case…"

Riko studied his face for a moment.

"… Riku and Naoko seemed like they needed some help, so I offered. Simple as that…"

"Then you weren't required to do so? You weren't instructed to by someone else?"

She sighed. "Look, I'll make this clear to you right now. I don't really care about the stuff between 'Course 1' and 'Course 2'. As long as it doesn't really concern me personally, whatever happens happens. Got it?"

She lightly sifted through her hair with her fingers before leaving on her own. Etsu slightly shrugged. He was about to go back to his book when he heard something.

"Um…"

He turned his head again to see Naoko, who seemed to be struggling to say something. He looked at her as she kept stuttering nonsense. It took a bit of time before she finally said something.

"W-W-Well….." She nervously glanced at her watch before giving a surprised look. "Ah! I need to get going for the entrance ceremony! I need to practice for the opening speech!" She gave a deep bow. "I'm sorry! Please help out this student for me!"

Before he could say anything, Naoko dashed away, leaving him alone with the young man with rolled up sleeves.

_"If it wasn't for this booklet, I probably wouldn't have expected that to be a lie. But I'll let it slide this time…"_

He turned to Riku, who seemed obviously bored.

"Well then, we may as well get to know each other a bit…"

He gently slapped Riku's back as the two of them left the area together to kill some time until the ceremony began.

* * *

A tall young man wearing a plain face was sitting on the bench of the schools. There were only a couple of hours until the ceremony was supposed to start, so he decided to read the handbook and get an idea of the school itself. He was only a few pages inside when suddenly…

"You're a new student, aren't you?"

He looked up to see a young-looking girl with a very "cute" appearance gazing at him with a look that seemed to resemble an innocent curiousity. He quickly glanced at her uniform, which held an emblem on it, identifying her as a "Course 1" student.

He was not embarrassed nor proud of being able to converse with someone like her, but simply wished to avoid standing out. Therefore, he tried to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

"Yes. That is correct…"

"And you are using a physical handbook? How interesting…"

This was an age where virtual tools were preferred over physical ones, but that did not make this case any more rarer than seeing a native bird in a local park. It seems like this was just an attempt to start a conversation.

"The virtual-type is not really suitable for reading…"

"That's true. But that's still quite interesting." Her smile widened as she continued. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I prefer book-based information to the virtual ones as well, so I'm quite happy to find a friend."

"Is that so?"

"My name is Saegusa Mayumi. I am the student council president of First High School…"

"Shiba Tatsuya. Nice to meet you."

"Shiba Tatsuya… so you're **that** Shiba then…"

Tatsuya's sister, Shiba Miyuki, was the top entry student for First High School, and it wouldn't be difficult to assume that they are siblings. However that was not what Mayumi meant when she said '**that**'.

Most likely, she was referring to the fact that he was the unusual student who, despite ranking low on the practical portion of the exam, scored number one on the written exam. Compared to the average seventy points, he achieved a total of ninety-seven, making him the highest ranked student of them all.

"I'm sure I wouldn't be able to achieve such a score if were we in the same year. You must be proud of yourself…"

"Not really…" he answered without any hesitation in his voice. He was hesitant to go any further in the conversation at the risk of standing out before the year had even begun. Luckily, it seemed that fate was willing to give him a break.

"There you are president!"

A young girl went over to Mayumi with an exhausted look on her face. The girl took a couple of deep breaths before continuing.

"Excuse me president, you need to come back to prepare for the opening ceremony…"

"Oh, is it that time already?"

Her words sounded surprise, but the look on her face was telling him that she was just feigning ignorance. She turned back to him and gave a slight bow.

"Well then Tatsuya, I hope we can meet again soon…"

"Of course, same here…"

As the two of them left, Tatsuya couldn't help but notice that the girl who came to retrieve Mayumi gave a look of disdain at him before leaving. He gave a small sigh as he started going back to the handbook. It looked like things were going to be troublesome in the future…

* * *

**Magic for Dummies! (Lesson 1 - What the heck is "Magic"?)**

_The scene goes back to an empty classroom once again. This time, the blackboard has "Lesson on Magic" written on it instead, and three new figures have shown up. One is a young girl with red hair and wearing a "Course 2" uniform. Another is a young man who has a "wild" hairstyle and seems fairly muscular. He is also wearing a "Course 2" uniform. The third in-between them is also a young man, but he is quite slender and has spiky, messy, raven-black hair. He is wearing a course 1 uniform._

_The girl with red hair speaks up first._

"Hello! My name is Chiba Erika!"

_The boy with a "wild" hairtyle speaks next._

"Yo! I'm Saijou Leon!"

_The boy with black hair speaks last._

"And I'm Hiroshi Rikio. Nice to meet you."

Erika: "So it looks like we're the ones in charge of this lesson today!"

Leon: "Yeah, but I feel like we've done this before..."

Erika: "No need to worry about it. But there's something I gotta ask..." *Turns to Rikio* "Who the heck are you?"

Rikio: "I'm a character who hasn't made an appearance yet. Hopefully that changes next chapter..."

Leon: "Huh? Hasn't shown up?"

Rikio: "Don't think too much. Anyways, I guess the lesson is on magic itself?"

Erika: "Yup. Though frankily I don't see why we need to go over this..."

Leon: *Scratches head*"Yeah. I'm pretty sure that this stuff is like the basic of basics..."

Rikio: "Then I supposed you both can explain things simply for the readers out there?"

Erika & Leon: *Flinches then shifts head away*

Rikio: *Sigh* "I guess I'll start teaching about this..." *Takes out a teaching baton*

"Magic is usually initially thought of as a random miracle that can be controlled. Something that can happen just when you feel like it. But the truth is that it's not the case.

The fact is that magic is actually manipulating information around us to perform said miracles. Supposedly, everything in this world exists because of "Eidos", or "information". That same eidos determines just about everything in this world from how does it look, to how it works. That same "Eidos" simultaniously exists because of an object itself."

Leon: *Raises hand* "Wait a minute! You're said that eidos gave an object existance, but now you just said that an object creates eidos. Isn't that a contradiction?"

Rikio: "The two simultaniously exist at the same time. There's not much on how eidos relates to the real world, but it exists regardless. Think of it like a mirror image. You know you exist because you can see your body being reflected on the mirror. But at the same time, the mirror can only reflect because you have a body in the first place."

Leon: "I sort of get it... but it just seems too confusing..." *Smoke starts fuming from head*

Rikio: "Don't worry about it. Just know that everything has eidos. Got it? Moving on..." *Virtual screen appears*

So as I said before, eidos determines the traits of everything in existance. However, eidos is made up of smaller units known as 'Psions'. Those are essentially the building blocks of eidos, which is therefore the building blocks of everything as well.

Erika: "So 'Everything' is made up of 'Eidos', and 'Eidos' is made up of 'Psions', so 'Everything' is made up of 'Psions'?

Rikio: "Correct. Think of 'Everything' as a book, 'Eidos' are sentences, and 'Psions' are words. A book is made with sentences, a sentence is made with words, therefore a book is made of words."

Erika: "Ok, I think I sorta get it. But how does that relate to 'Magic'?"

Rikio: "'Magic' is actually just manipulating the eidos with psions to perform small miracles. It doesn't make something from nothing, but changes how something works to manipulate events.

Erika: "Huh?"

Rikio: "Let's try this. Let's say that that we want to make a fire using 'magic'. In order to achieve that, I rewrite the eidos in the air so that any trace amounts of carbon would mix together with the hydrogen chemicals and oxygen chemicals, to create chemicals that would combust and form fire. In other words I'm manipulating information temporarily, so that something occurs in a seemingly natural way.

Erika: "I think it's starting to make sense now. So you're saying that 'Magic' is actually just a sort of unnaturally occuring science?"

Rikio: "Sort of. The truth is that even the greatest magician doesn't really understand the entire principality of it all. And we may never know the truth for a long time..."

Erika: "Then wouldn't this lesson be pointless?"

Rikio: "Not really. As long as you understand that magic is manipulating eidos, and that magicians are those that manipulate eidos, not miracle-makers. Then it should be fine..."

Leon: *Wakes up* "Huh? What's going on?"

Erika: "We're pretty much finished with the lesson..."

Leon: "You're kidding! I didn't get to do much!"

Erika: "Well it's your fault. A wild animal like you shouldn't have been sleeping and be useless."

Leon: "What did you say?!"

Rikio: "Well it looks like that's the end of today's lesson. Remember, if you are still confused or need a particular question answered, leave it in the reviews or ask PM Shadowplayer. Well then..."

_Erika and Leon are fighting with each other while Rikio is waving goodbye._

"Until next time..."

* * *

_**So that is the first actual chapter. Hope it wasn't too bad. Leave reviews, as they help me check on my progress. If you didn't see your OC yet, expect an appearance either the next chapter or the chapter after. Anyways thanks for checking out REDUX, and I hope you'll stick around. After working on chapters for my other fanfics, I'll get back to work on this one...**_


	3. Welcome to First High! (Part 2)

_"__Do I look human to you?"_

The question was asked every time someone wanted to try and make friends with him. He always heard the same answer each time.

_"__Of course you do…"_

He would laugh to himself each time afterwards…

* * *

"Excuse me…"

A young man with short black hair turned around at the middle of a nearly empty hallway. His face was rather childish-looking and coupled with his brown eyes and slightly taller height; he seemed to give off the feeling of an awkward child who had no idea where he was.

The one who called out to him was another boy with short brown hair and bangs that appeared to be combed upwards and toward the right. This boy was taller than the other boy by just a couple inches or so, and he had a soft smile plastered on his face that seemed rather natural, thus contradicting the slightly intimidating look he gave off from his face.

"Yes?" The "awkward-looking boy" asked. His eyes eyes had a somewhat empty look to them, like a person who just about gave up on something they believed in. However, his was showing a slight grin, which made him seem a bit strange and, to be bluntly honest, a bit creepy.

"Sorry, I just wanted to know if you knew where the auditorium for the opening ceremony was…"

"Er…" he pointed to the door where a sign that said "Opening Ceremony" was posted. The other boy turned and lightly smacked himself.

"Ah geez, guess I missed that…"

The black-haired boy turned to leave when suddenly…

"Wait a minute, what's your name?"

He stopped.

"…isn't it courteous to offer your name first?"

"Oh, I guess so…" The other boy lightly tapped his head again before giving his name. "Takaya Shin. Nice to meet you."

Shin offered his hand as a greeting.

"What an idiot…" the boy said in a slightly playful way while sticking his tongue out. "Do you just give away personal information like that to any random stranger who asks?"

Shin sighed.

_"__Well I guess I fell for that one…"_ he thought to himself. "Then I take it you aren't gonna tell me yours?"

The boy paused for a bit.

"Ouro. Just…Ouro"

"Alright then, 'Just Ouro'. Aren't you a bit early for a 'Course 2 student'?"

Ouro glanced down at Shin's uniform. It carried the 8-petaled emblem that all the Course 1 students had. His uniform didn't have such an emblem, which classified him as a Course 2 student. He didn't feel any malice behind Shin's words, but it didn't make much sense to him for a Course 1 student like him to just casually bring up a conversation with a Course 2 student, especially after the rumors he heard about this school.

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

There wasn't any point in trying to lie his way through, so he may as well be blunt and honest.

"No, it's just that there's still time before the ceremony begins, so it doesn't make much sense for a student to just wait around the entrance like this…"

The black-haired student sighed. Is this guy really like this? Or was he just trying to pass some kind of poor excuse to get by?

"Everyone's free to go wherever they'd like. You got a problem with that? Or do you have some sort of ulterior motive?"

"Alright, you got me…"

_"__I knew it…"_

"I just wanted to offer some help cause you looked kinda clueless…"

"….huh?"

"I'm a bit of a sucker with helping people out. You looked kinda lost, so I thought I'd offer some help."

Ouro lightly shook his head with a sigh. "You say that, but aren't **you** the one who didn't know where the ceremony was?"

"Well it's not just that. You seemed kinda…lonely?"

He paused.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well I've been kinda watching you for a while…"

"Police, we have a stalker here…"

"Not like that!" Shin took a deep breath before continuing. "I was watching, and I couldn't help but notice that you seemed to be purposefully avoiding the other students, both courses. And yet, you keep giving a small glance, kind of like you've been thinking about how to make some friends. Only reason I can think of is because you don't expect anyone familiar to arrive, or to meet up with anyone else later. That seems to tell me that you're lonely."

Ouro kept quiet for a bit. He wouldn't deny the Bloom's claims, but there's a bit more to the story than he was willing to admit.

"What about your classmates?"

"What about them?"

"Aren't you going to be ostracized for hanging out with a Weed like me?"

"Well, I'm kinda at a standstill."

"?"

"Never mind. Point is that I'm not really particular to either side. I know someone who's classified as a Weed, but I know just how strong he really is, so I'm not really prejudiced or anything…"

Shin seemed to be telling the truth. Ouro was still hesitant about trusting this guy, but there didn't seem to be much problem with going along with this, and he might be able to benefit in a way sometime in the near future.

"Whatever. Just don't be much of a bother then…"

"Alright, gotcha…"

The two shook hands as a sign of "acquaintanceship". There would probably be some problems, of course, but Ouro felt like there's more than meets the eye with Shin. It was better to keep a potential enemy nearby, but there was something else that bothered him. Something that made him feel cautious.

"Hey ladies…" Shin had suddenly rushed over to a pair of female students while trying to look impressive. "My name is Tayaka Shin. Can I offer you some assistance?"

He took it back. This guy was just a generous idiot…

* * *

Tatsuya sat near the very edge of the top floor of the auditorium, one of the furthest seating positions available for the opening ceremony. The reason he took this position was because the students were already separated into "Blooms" and "Weeds", who sat in the front and back respectively.

Although it wasn't a requirement or an enforced idea, the difference between those who "looked down" and those who "were looked down upon" was quite obvious. However, there was no need to rock the boat if it could be helped, and he preferred to keep a low profile at the moment, so Tatsuya silently took the empty seat without any sign of resentment or hesitation.

"Um…"

He turned to find young black-haired girl with glasses staring down at him. The girl had a well-endowed body that fitted her somewhat petite stature which seemed quite ideal for a woman.

"Is there anyone sitting next to you?"

She was referring to the seats next to him that were open. He didn't intend to choose a seat that had empty seats next to it, but there was no reason to lie since he didn't mind whether he was alone or with company at the moment.

"No, go right ahead…"

The girl bowed before calling over a couple more people.

The first one was another young woman who had short orange hair that was styled towards one side of her head, giving her a more "outgoing" feel than her friend did.

The other was a young man with slightly darkened skin, who seemed to be dragged over by the orange-haired girl. His body appeared to be fairly slimmer than most of the other students, and his blond-hair, that was spiked outwardly, seemed to also give him the impression of an "outgoing" person.

None of them had an emblem on their uniforms, so they all must have been course 2 students here as well.

"Hey there!" The orange haired-girl said after the group sat down. "My name is Chiba Erika! This is here is Shibata Mizuki, and the guy here is Hyaku Kaito." She pointed to the girl with glasses, who sat in-between Erika and Tatsuya, then the boy next to Erika. Tatsuya simply gave a small bow.

"Hello."

"Hey…" Kaito replied.

Upon closer inspection, Tatsuya noticed that Kaito's uniform was a bit undone from the top 2 buttons, and the tie was a bit off, giving the impression that this was either uncomfortable to wear, or he was just a bit of a slacker.

"Hey Kaito, try to act more your age. We're all high school students now, and I can't just take care of you all the time…" Erika spoke with a somewhat disapproving tone towards the slacker, who gave a small glare.

"Shut up. It's because we're still students that I'm gonna act like this while I can."

Erika began to puff her cheeks slightly.

"Geez, you're always acting like such a pain…"

"Now now…"

Mizuki was acting as the mediator between them, but she appeared to be somewhat hesitant and reserved. Tatsuya simply grinned, but his mind was focused on Erika's last name.

Chiba. The name of one of the more well-known of the hundred clans. A group that while not as prestigious of the ten clans, is still fairly known for producing well-off magicians.

Although not as influential as the government, the Ten clans have a lot of power in the nation, making them practically VIPs. Incidentally, Mayumi's last name, Saegusa, was one that belonged to the Ten clans, and there was supposed to be at least one more notable figure who belonged to the Juumonji clan.

However that didn't concern Tatsuya. Whatever went on among the 28 families didn't really matter to him, and it was better to avoid getting involved if he could help it.

"We wlll now begin the opening ceremony for the National Magic University Affiliated First High School. Will everyone please take your seats?"

In response to the announcement, there was a lot of clattering and murmurs as all the students took their seats and turned their attention to the front.

Several students were sitting at the edge of the stage there the announcements and speeches would be held. Among them, Tatsuya gave a smile as he noticed one of the students sitting with perfect posture along with an elegant feel that seemed to make her out as a goddess-to-be for everyone who met her the first time.

Her long, flowing, beautiful black hair, her smooth pale skin, and the amazing curves that did not make her seem superior nor inferior to any of the young women there, made her out to be the near perfect woman in appearance. This, coupled with the fact that she was one of the top candidates in both the written exam and practical exam, would captivate anyone, regardless of gender.

This was Shiba Miyuki. A young woman who's beauty and ability seemed to exceed past anything in the mortal realm. Such things made it all the more fitting for the eight-petaled emblem that was marked on her uniform.

This would make it all the more strange that she was the younger sister of a young man who was a course 2 student, and even stinger still that both would attend the same school at the same time. But such matters were trivial to Tatsuya, who simply sat with a proud look on his face.

* * *

*Yawn*

Although the opening ceremonies were occurring at this time, a course one student was lying on the floor of the rooftop. He did not seem to be concerned about the time, which meant that he was purposefully ditching on his own. His black hair extended just above his neck, mostly covering the right half of his face. His left eye was openly facing the sky without any emotion being shown.

"Hey you!"

The student turned his head to find a short-haired young woman wearing the usual course one uniform. However her arm had a red armband around it, which identified her as part of the "Public Moral Committee".

"Someone like you shouldn't be ditching the opening ceremonies, especially a course one student like you!"

The student waved his hand lazily while turning back to face the sky,

"It's not like anyone's going to notice one or two students missing from the group. No need to bother…"

"**I** found you, so it matters to me!"

"Then pretend you didn't even see me…"

"I can't do that! It would be irresponsible and wrong!"

The young man finally got to his feet and started to dust off his pants,

"Then how about this, I run off, and you make a report saying that you couldn't catch me, so you had to let me go…"

"How about this? I catch you right now, you come with me to the meeting room, where we will determine your punishment and you will learn to behave from here on out…"

As soon as she finished, a spell appeared underneath the man's feet, which started to glow brighter as it began to activate. He looked around and shrugged.

"Binding spell?"

"Just to make sure you don't move anywhere…"

The spell circle disappeared, signaling that the spell ended. The woman started walking closer to capture him.

"Just come by quietly…"

"I don't think so…"

The young man suddenly leapt into the air and landed on the fence surrounding the roof. The young woman was surprised that the boy was able to escape from her spell, but she was more concerned about making sure he didn't injure himself.

"Now just wait a moment…don't do anything crazy…"

The boy gave a small wave before slowly falling backwards towards he ground. The public morals member had rushed over to watch, but the young boy activated a spell that helped him land safely on the ground, and had already started running off elsewhere.

"Damnit…don't let him get away!"

The boy smiled as more members began to converge around him. He started typing into his wristband CAD before launching magic at his pursuers, trapping them in place with a simple binding spell, similar to the one attempted to be used on him earlier. The effect only worked momentarily, but it was long enough for him to be able to escape. He was heading towards the backends of the buildings when suddenly, another student appeared in front of him with his arms held back like a sumo wrestler's.

The student's hair was spiked and messy, with bangs spread out all along the ends, and the longer ones filling the space between his eyes. His face had very sharp features, which made him seem very serious, as well as something similar to the cliche "mysterious transfer student" look.

Launching his hand forward, The guilty student instinctively shifted out of the way just in time to feel a burst of pressure pass right next to him. He stopped and started acting more cautiously with his new opponent, keeping a fair distance while shifting his attention to his hands every few seconds.

"Well this seems new…"

The "mystery" student had suddenly sped towards him and made a palm thrust towards his stomach. He countered with a similar blow, but his arm suddenly felt paralyzed, making it effectively useless for the time being.

"I think he used 'Self-Acceleration' just now…"

"Self-Acceleration" is a spell that allows the user to increase their momentum, and thus provide the illusion that they are speeding up. However, the truth is that the technique is more or less like riding a small, short rollarcoaster to reach one location from another. Likewise, the faster the transition, the heavier the strain the user experiences on their body. This is partially the reason why "Self-Acceleration" is a magic that is dissuaded being used so openly, despite some of the benefits.

The fact that this mystery student didn't even flinch or hesitate after using such a technique, seemed to hint that his body was more muscular and well-toned than he seemed at first glance. However, it didn't not account for the paralyzing effect of that attack earlier.

"_Dealing with two different techniques would be tricky, and I'm still being chased. So in this case…"_

The delinquent grinned as he typed something else into his CAD before activating the spell underneath him. The mystery student had suddenly began to rush towards him, but it was too late. The spell activated, causing a smokescreen to suddenly appear from the ground and making the caster disappear from view for just a brief moment. The difference was only about 2-3 seconds at most, but when the smoke cleared, the caster had disappeared, leaving only a group from the "Public Morals Committee" and the student alone.

"Damnit, this is such a disgrace…"

The short haired girl earlier had one hand to her hips while rubbing the back of her neck. She had a look of being displeased on her face, and the other members had suddenly grew a bit nervous. The mystery student picked up the bag he dropped earlier and started to go on his own way when…

"Hey you…"

He turned to face the leader who was still frowning slightly.

"My name is Watanabe Mari, what's yours?"

"…Hiroshi Rikio…"

Mari gave a small grin as she extended her hand out towards Rikio.

"You seem like you're pretty skilled. Wanna join the 'Public Morals Commitee'?"

"…excuse me?"

* * *

**Magic for Dummies! (Lesson 2 - Who are the "Ten Master Clans"?)**

_The scene returns to the usual setting. The only changes are that the Blackboard has "Ten Master Clans" written on it, and the three leading figures are Mayumi, Erika, and Miyuki. Everything has been chibified._

Mayumi: "Hello everyone. My name is Saegusa Mayumi"

Miyuki: "Good Afternoon. I am Shiba Miyuki"

Erika: "Afternoon! It's me, Chiba Erika!"

_The three bow simultaneously_

Mayumi: "Well then, I suppose that today's lesson shall be on the Ten Master Clans"

Erika: "Before we start... *Rages in place* What the heck is going on here?!"

Miyuki: "What do you mean Erika?"

Erika: "I mean what the hell are we doing with this weird look?"

_Erika twists her body to show off her now shrunken and somewhat cute body._

Mayumi: "Oh this... I suppose this is because Shadow believed that people would assume that we looked normal for this segment, and as this is a bonus, it might have been more fun to visualize a change in our appearance."

Erika: "Isn't this basically copying the segments of the anime specials?"

Miyuki: "Now Erika, this was not intended to be a copy, so please don't point this out again."

Erika: "Alright, alright. So what should we talk about this time?"

Miyuki: "Well, since Erika is technically part of the Ten Master Clans herself, perhaps she can tell us..."

Erika: "Huh?! Err..." *Rubs the back of her head while shifting her eyes away* I guess I can do that..."

_Erika takes out her baton and taps the blackboard._

Erika: "So about the Ten Master Clans...they're really important...they have power, so...they can get a lot of stuff...uh...they're made up of only ten clans..."

Miyuki: "Erika, that's wrong..."

Erika: "Huh? Er... I mean..."

_Erika is fumbling over herself while Mayumi gives a slightly naughty smile._

Mayumi: "Perhaps I should take over, as a member of the Ten Master Clans themselves..."

_Erika gives a nervous chuckle before turning the board over to Mayumi, who gives a small bow before starting._

Mayumi: "Now what Erika said wasn't completely wrong. The Ten Master Clans do have power and are made up of ten different familes. However that does not necessarily mean that there are **only** ten families involved.

Let's begin with a brief history lesson. Back when magic in modern society was discovered to be influenced through a person's genes, many lengths were taken to assure that a family's magic would grow stronger. Such an example was marraige within families only to continue the idea of keeping blood "pure"

Erika: "What?! You're saying that my grandfather could've been married to his own sister or a cousin? That's just wrong!"

Mayumi: "Actually Erika, Japan was the most refined in magic because such a thing is accepted easily in Japan. Families have been obssesed with social standing and providing 'useful' children, and believe that blood is the only things that truly matters."

Erika: "It still seems wrong..."

Mayumi: "Sadly, there was nothing illegal about this practice, therefore we cannot stop it from continuing, no matter how bad it may seem..."

_Mayumi shakes her head before continuing the lesson._

Mayumi: "Anyways, so back then, magic was considered important at the time, and was also meant to be studied carefully. Therefore, the 'Ten Magic Research Institutes' were created to genetically modify magicians as soldiers or tools..."

Erika: "Wait...you mean that people were actually studying ways on how to turn magic and magicians into bigger weapons for war?"

Mayumi: "That's actually why magic was discovered in the first place."

Erika: "But magic can be used for so much more than just weapons! Why would they..."

Mayumi: "Erika, I would like to explain, but we seem to be diverging from the original topic. We can talk about this another time, but right now, let's focus on the Ten Clans, ok?"

_Erika puffs her cheeks out before sitting quietly._

Mayumi: "Now then, the 'Ten Magic Research Institutes" were made up of many more famliles than just ten. 28 to be exact. However the ten strongest were the only ones that made up the Ten Master Clans. The rest were instead considered 'replacements' called the 18 Assistant Houses. Miyuki, can you explain more about the 18 houses?"

Miyuki: "Yes. The 18 houses are considered the same as supporting families. However, they are also potential candidates for a spot in the Ten Master Clans. Supposedly, there is a four year selection meeting to decide which clans will be members of the Ten Master Clans until the next meeting. This is always supposed to be decided by who are the ten strongest..."

Mayumi: "Very good Miyuki! As expected of the First year representative! Now Erika, can you tell me who the current ten are?"

Erika: "Huh? Let me see..."

_Erika is crossing her arms as she goes into thought_

Erika: In order, I guess it's 'Ichijo', 'Futatsugi', 'Mitsuya', 'Yotsuba', 'Itsuwa', 'Mutsuzuka', 'Saegusa', 'Yatsushiro', 'Kudo', and...'Juumonji'...right?"

Mayumi: "Correct! Ten points!

Now, the benefits of being part of the 10 Master Clans is that the family is given a significant amount of political power, as well as a grand reputation for each member of their family, which can be useful when trying to gain power, find a job, tie-up loose ends...

Miyuki: "President, isn't there another requirement? One that's more negative than the benefits?"

Mayumi: "Sadly, yes. The Ten Master Clans must also offer their magic as soldiers, officers, and administrators for their nation and country. They must essentially swear loyalty to never betray Japan while under service as part of the Ten clans..."

_The three of them look bitterly at different directions before changing the atmosphere._

Mayumi: "I suppose that the only thing left to explain is the three most influential famliies of the Ten clans."

Erika: "Wait, didn't you say that all the Ten Clans have political power?"

Mayumi: "Yes, but these three can also act regardless of jurisdiction and are used to maintain balance among power in Japan, as long as they don't directly interfere with anything local. These three are the Saegusa, my famlily, the Juumonji, and the Yotsuba. Technically, the Ichijou would also qualify, but they cover northern Japan while these three cover the capital."

Erika: "Wow, sounds like Mayumi-senpai has a lot of responsibility, right Miyuki?"

Miyuki: "Huh? R-Right..."

Erika: "Something wrong? You look kind of weird..."

Miyuki: "It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired, that's all..."

Mayumi: "Well this has been dragging on for a long time. But before we end, we must do one more thing...

_Mayumi takes out a piece of paper with writing on it._

Mayumi: "'Faithful Reader' has asked about what Shadow assumes to be a Ichijou Masaki and Miyuki relationship in this fanfiction. It seems that the answer is currently 'unknown'.

Miyuki: "Wha- pairing me with Masaki-san? It's considered a great honor, but..."

Erika: "Well we don't know how long this fanfiction would last, so nothing's been set in stone yet. We'll just be more or less playing by ear I guess..."

Mayumi: "There you go 'Faithful Reader'-san, it seems that we are unsure of such things at the moment, but we may try and get back to you on that if it gets decided before then. To everyone else, thank you for reading and we want you to send in any questions you may have about the series. Then until the next time...

_All three wave goodbye._

All: "Good bye everyone!"

* * *

_**Another chapter, another set of introductions...**_

_**Sorry if this seemed kinda poor or rushed, but I prefer trying to do action scenes over intro scenes. But that doesn't mean that I try to slack off on the job. I'm still trying to make things interesting, and I hope this chapter didn't bore you guys too much.**_

_**Hopefully more action will come next chapter, and if you don't see your character, PM me if you think I forgot, and I'll let you know about that. However, I have a list of your OCs and I promise that I am trying to give everyone some spotlight here and there.**_

_**Thanks for sticking by for the second chapter. Remember that you can stop reading this at anytime, and I don't want to feel like I'm forcing you guys to continue.**_

_**Here's hoping the next chapter will be more satisfying...**_


	4. First day trouble? (Part 1)

_**Now we have the next chapter! Thanks for waiting and sticking around!**_

* * *

After the opening ceremonies, all the students were separated into their respective classes. Those who were "Blooms" were typically placed into classrooms with "A" while the "Weeds" were typically placed into classrooms with "E". Although the school dismisses the idea of "Blooms" and "Weeds" in public, the classrooms were separated at different ends of the school building. While this may have been a mere coincidence, there are strong suspicions that favoritism already exists within the school itself.

However, such matters appeared to be trivial to all the students, who seemed to have more or less resigned to "keeping to the status quo".

In the classroom of 1-E, several of the students were excited about entering a new year at such a prestigious school. Many of the existing students were either gathered together with their friends, or sat by themselves divulging in a book or checking the online records.

Tatsuya was sitting at his desk when Erika and Mizuki gathered next to him.

"Hey! Looks like we're in the same class!" The more outgoing of the two raised a hand to greet him while giving a smile. Her friend gave a polite bow instead.

"Seems so." Tatsuya replied.

"Hey, you have any plans after class today?"

"I thought I would just look over our options for the rest of the day. Depending on what First High has to offer for the first year students, I may just leave later on."

"Right, you have that younger sister of yours that you need to take care of…"

"You mean that girl who was the freshman representative this morning, right?"

The three of them turned their attention to the student sitting in the desk in front of Tatsuya. It was a young man who had a fairly "wild" hairstyle and a fairly broad build. While he wasn't exactly bad on the eyes, he seemed to be more like one of those "jock" or "brawn" type guys who didn't seem to care too much attention to their appearance.

"Sorry about that," he continued as he forgot introductions. "My name is Saijou Leonhart. But I don't mind if you call me Leo instead."

"Waaa… saying to act familiar with someone they just met…" Erika replied in an uninterested tone. "You must be a pretty lonely guy…"

Leo glared. "Shut up. It's nothing like that."

"Then why did you decide to speak to Tatsuya all of a sudden?"

"How come **you** seem so familiar with this guy when you just met?"

"We already met in the auditorium you idiot. We didn't need to try and force our friendship onto others either…"

"I'm telling you, it's not like that…"

A small line of sparks could be seen from their eyes as they continued to bicker back and forth. At that moment, Tatsuya recalled something else.

"By the way," he asked Mizuki, who turned to him in response. "Wasn't there one more in your group?"

"Ah, you mean Kaito, right? He's sitting in the back." The young girl with glasses pointed to the student with slightly tan skin, who was yawning as he seemed to have planned on taking a nap instead of focusing on the class.

"I see."

The bell rang to signal the entire class to take their seats. The door opened up as a young woman who had a mature look and her hair braided from the back, appeared at the front. This confused many of the students.

"Huh? Why is there a teacher here?"

"Isn't this supposed to be the class for 'Course 2'?"

"Then why…"

Although the term "class" was used, the Course 2 classrooms weren't supposed to have actual instructors teach them. Instead, the classes and lessons were done online and were actually more like "self-study". An instructor would occasionally come once in a while, but it is mostly to check up on the students and gather any papers and/or tests that needed to be turned in.

"Good morning everyone," the instructor spoke after everyone stopped whispering."My name is Haruka Ono, but you may all just call me Haruka-sensei or Ono-sensei." She gave a smile as she continued. "I have come here to inform you all that I am one of the many guidance counselors who are available to both Course 1 and Course 2.

Here at First High, we strive to help all of you succeed in your studies and in preparing for the future. That is why if any of you have any problems or concerns, we encourage you to come to us for advice, support, or even to have someone to talk to. We hope you all keep this in mind as you enjoy the first year here."

After giving a small bow, she left the room with a hint of allurement. Most of the students (mostly the guys) were excitedly talking about what just happened and the things they just heard. Tatsuya was not one of them, and simply went to check the schedule.

While it was an encouraging speech, there was no way to tell if it was the counselor's honest thoughts, or whether it was a speech to derive the students from negative thoughts. Either way, there was no need to dwell on it too much.

* * *

Miyuki had just entered the classroom marked "1-A". Her mere appearance had drawn the attention of practically everyone already in the classroom, both men and women alike. Their gazes were just slightly uncomfortable, but the young maiden had no problem ignoring them and going straight to her assigned seat.

"Hello there Miyuki-san."

Miyuki turned to see a white-haired boy with girlish features raising a hand to greet her.

"Etsu…san…"

"It's been a while since we last saw each other. You both doing fine?"

"Yes. Onii-sama and I have been quite well. What about you?"

"Oh, I've just been the same…you know…" Etsu's began to look slightly depressed. "I'm feeling just a bit more worthless each day… but otherwise, I guess I'm okay…"

"I see…" Miyuki gave a small sigh when another student came up to her.

"Yo! You're Shiba Miyuki, right?" The student who spoke was a young girl with green eyes and wavy black hair that seemed to extend just below her shoulders.

"Yes…"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aizawa Riko. Hope you don't mind if we became friends…" She extended a hand out to the young beauty, who gave her own hand to complete the handshake. As they shook, Miyuki noticed the bracelet hidden beneath the sleeves of her uniform.

"That's a nice bracelet you have there…"

The bracelet appeared to have been made of a rare metal, as it had a golden reflective surface. It had a rectangular-shape to it that seemed to have been no more than a couple inches in width. There didn't seem to be any unique patterns on it, but the slight scratches among the smooth surface hinted that this object was well cared for.

"Hmm? Oh this…" He held up her arm so that Miyuki was able to get just a slightly better from inside her sleeves. "Yeah, it was a gift from my dad. It's one of my most treasured things."

"I see. You must love him very much."

"Eh, he's a bit overprotective with me, and we had to move a lot before finally settling here. But I do think that this was a neat gift he gave me. What about you? How's the relationship with your dad?"

Miyuki's face stiffened. She was tempted to lash out verbally against her father, but she kept it in and simply kept silent. Riko seemed to have noticed as she gave an observant look.

"Nevermind, it seem like you have your own problems too…"

* * *

"Ah, that's…"

A young brown-haired girl with pigtails was watching the trio that just gathered together in the seat diagonally behind her on her right about two seats down. She felt a tap on her shoulder from the girl next to her, who just happened to be her best friend.

"Hey Honoka, it's your chance to try and make friends with your favorite idol…" the girl joked with a very "plain"-sounding voice.

"W-What are you talking about Shizuku? She's not my favorite idol!"

"Sorry, I suppose you wanted me to say your first love instead…"

"Shizuku!"

Although Shizuku didn't seem to show much emotion in her words, the meaning behind them were still clearly conveyed somehow. In this case, Shizuku was lightly teasing Honoka.

"But still, Miyuki is someone that you're really interested in, right?"

"That's true," The brown-haired girl was calmer as she continued. "After all, it's no surprise that she became the freshman representative as she had top results in nearly every entrance exam here. That, along with the way her magic seems so powerful, it would be surprising if you didn't find her amazing…"

"She has a brother, doesn't she?"

"Yes. I know that Miyuki's magic was very strong, but after seeing her brother perform…" She had a dazed look on her face. "I fell in love how his magic was used so beautifully. No extra psions used, no step was wasted, it was just perfect…"

Magic is used through manipulating Psions and Eidos. While only magicians were the able to see psions and eidos, like art, there were many different kinds of "appearances" for each "magic", just as there are notable differences between each artist's techniques when painting the same thing.

"Honoka…are you falling in love?"

"N-No! That's not it at all!" the girl waved her hands in a "shooing" motion, as if to knock the idea away.

"Well, maybe you would like to try and be friends with Miyuki before class begins…"

"R-Right! I'll go do that!"

She got up from her desk and went over to meet with the goddess-like being who was smiling as she spoke with the other two. Just before she got close enough to speak, Honoka, who was nervously thinking to herself, tripped over her own foot and fell flat on the floor right in front of the white-haired boy.

"Ow…ow ow ow…" she rubbed her nose as she felt very embarrassed for what just happened. At that moment, she saw the white-haired boy kneel down with a hand stretched out.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…"

She took his hand and he helped her up before letting go. Honoka noticed Miyuki looking at her, and felt her face heat up as she buried her hands in her face while she felt like she wanted to die at that moment. Embarrassing herself in front of the one person she hoped she wouldn't, she expected Miyuki to try and ignore her existence for the rest of the week.

"Excuse me…"

She removed her hands to see Miyuki giving a gentle smile. Not what she expected…

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Y-Yes! I'm perfectly fine!"

"I see…"

She glanced down at Honoka's uniform, which had some dust and dirt from the fall earlier. She held up her hand as a magic sequence began to activate. The group watched as the dirt and dust from Honoka's uniform had suddenly fell off and disappeared.

Honoka and Riko had openly shown their surprise while Etsu and Shizuku simply gave an interested look. After Miyuki finished, she gave a brighter smile to Honoka.

"There, that should be better…"

"U-Um…Thank you very much…"

Honoka was happy as she managed to get at least a little bit closer to Miyuki. But before they could make any further progress, the bell rang, signaling the students to head back to their seats.

As the lesson progressed, Honoka couldn't stop smiling widely throughout the entire lesson…

* * *

"Well, that was a pretty interesting class today…"

Tatsuya, Erika, Mizuki, Leo, and Kaito were all sitting together at the same table for lunch.

Earlier, they all managed to have a lesson on the origins of magic, how magic occurs, and their many uses (which overall would be considered more of a "review" than a "lesson"). They were taking lunch, but afterwards they were allowed to continue with their lessons, see some options about their future, or simply leave ignore classes for the rest of the day.

"They probably want to see if we could remember everything from the last couple of years." Erika pointed her fork at Leo as she spoke. "Of course, I wonder if a muscle-head like you would be able to remember anything that long…"

"Stop treating me likes an idiot! I might not be a genius, but I can still remember that much!"

"Oh really? Let's have a pop quiz to check…"

"Erika…please stop that…" Mizuki was acting as mediator while the two continued to bicker. Tatsuya and Kaito were eating silently while pretending to ignore the argument.

"By the way Tatsuya" Kaito said. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I was thinking about checking on my sister before going to the rest of the lessons."

"Eh? But you're pretty set on being a Magic Engineer, right?"

Skilled magicians in Japan are usually divided into three different groups. Government-afflicted, Engineering, or other. Typically, most magicians like those in Course 1, who are skilled in any kind of magic, are chosen or choose to work as government officials. Magicians were initially made as "human weapons", so they would usually be placed into either information-gathering groups, or fighting groups. While the risks are fairly high, the pay was quite good.

Engineering is usually meant to improve a magician's magic usage, discover any other ways to utilize magic, and to mass produce and maintain CADs. These are less dangerous than the first alternative, but nevertheless, it is still important.

The final option would be for a magician to try and find their own way of living. This route doesn't necessarily require magic, but it would be considered more of a gamble since a magician's choice in magic-related life is fairly limited.

"That's true, but I'm interested in seeing the resources that First High is able to offer in taking the next step. 'Luck favors the prepared' after all…"

"Somehow, I feel like you might be trying to be a bit of a smartass…"

"I didn't intend on such a thing. I'm sorry about that."

"Nah, its fine. I didn't really mean to sound like a jerk either…"

"Onii-sama!"

The group turned to see Miyuki walking over towards them happily. Following her were two more people. A white-haired young boy and a young girl with wavy black hair, both were wearing a face that seemed to show indifference even as they got closer to the group of "Course 2" students.

"Onii-sama, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting…"

"It's not a problem Miyuki. I hope everything went well?"

"Of course!"

"Tatsuya, nice to see you again…"

The white-haired boy raised a hand to give a casual greeting to the young man who was with his sister.

"Etsu. It's quite surprising to see you here."

"Yeah, apparently my parents decided to send me here while they worked overseas, so I was pretty surprised to see you both here."

"I'm just as surprised as you are. I didn't expect to meet up with someone familiar so soon…"

"Errr…Tatsuya?" Leo interrupted. "I think you should probably fill us in here…"

"Sorry about that." Tatsuya held a hand up to Etsu. "This is Etsu. He's a relative of mine and Miyuki. We last saw each other about…seven years ago, I think?"

"Yeah, a lot happened since then…a lot of things happened…" Etsu sighed. "But that's not important. It was nice to see Tatsu-nii again…"

"Tatsu-nii?" several members of the group gave a surprised reaction to this sudden change. Tatsuya simply smiled while Miyuki's face went slightly sour for a brief moment.

"It was a nickname he gave me a long time ago. To be honest, I was hoping that he would have stopped using it."

"I don't know," Etsu gave a doubtful response. "It's been seven years, but I still remember stuff like it was yesterday…"

"Ahem!"

The girl with wavy black hair had given a small cough to remind the others about her presence.

"Miyuki, you mind introducing me to the group here?"

"Ah, I'm sorry about that. This is Aizawa Riko. She's in the same class as myself and Etsu."

"Nice to meet you guys." Riko greeted the group in a very casual manner. "I hope you don't mind if we join you for lunch…"

"Are you sure about this?" Mizuki asked, referring to the difference in their uniforms. Most of the Course 1 students would commonly frown upon Course 2 students.

"Of course. I'm not really against the whole 'Bloom' and 'Weed' thing, but it's not like I really think it's a big deal either. We're all students here, right?

"That's true…"

"Miyuki-san…"

Turning to the source of the voice, the first group saw another group of Course 1 students gathered together near Miyuki, Etsu, and Riko. The one who spoke seemed to have been the light-brown haired boy who also seemed to have been the leader of the group.

"Miyuki-san, let's all go get lunch together."

Miyuki gave a small bow.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not really interested in leaving this table."

"Huh? But isn't it being taken by a bunch of Weeds?"

Leo, Kaito, and Erika glared at the group in response to the inappropriate term.

"I'm very sorry about this…"

"Oh, I see…" the boy nodded as he seemed to have understood something. "You just wanted to sit here instead of somewhere else." He gave an arrogant smile as he spoke to the group at the table. "Hey Weeds, get out of this table!"

"What the hell do you mean?!" Erika responded. "We got to this table first! Just wait your turns like everyone else!"

"What are you talking about? We're Blooms! We have the right to take over the spots that you reserves keep warm for us!"

"What was that?!"

"C'mon. You Weeds should be grateful that we Blooms are even talking your spots at all! A Weed is a loser who's just supposed to act as reserve anyways, so it's a good chance to understand what your futures are going to be like!"

It was true that Blooms are given priority and Weeds were considered reserves. However this only applied to school rankings and to fulfill the school's quota. Yet, it seems that the idea of "superiority" and "inferiority" had somehow adopted itself into the student's thinking.

"Why you…"

"Miyuki…"

Tatsuya had grabbed his near empty tray and left his seat.

"I'm already finished with lunch, so I will see you after school today."

"Alright then, Onii-sama…"

Leo, Mizuki, Erika, and Kaito all followed Tatsuya's lead, taking their own trays and leaving Miyuki, Etsu, and Riko with the rest of the Course 1 students. As they left, the three of them seemed to have slightly guilty looks on their faces, but these faces seemed to have gone unnoticed by the group that suddenly forced their way into them, save for two students, one whom they had met in the classroom just before class had began.

* * *

"Just get outta here!"

Afterschool, Tatsuya's group and Miyuki's group had gathered to walk back towards the terminals that would send each of them back home. The group of Course 1 students were following Miyuki like a large group of fans, and seemed to have demanded that Tatsuya's group leave. This led to a continuation of lunch, where Erika, Leo, and Kaito were acting like guards to Miyuki, who retreated back to her brother's side.

"You guys got some nerve telling us what to do when you're first-years like us!" Kaito was lashing out at the group of Course 1 students, several who looked at him with disgust as if he were a diseased animal.

"You Weeds don't seem to understand your place here! Miyuki-san should be staying with us Blooms!"

"That's right!"

"You got a problem with that?"

"Can't you guys see that Miyuki just wants to leave with her own brother?" Erika interjected. "She obviously doesn't want to be involved with you guys right now!"

The boy with light-brown hair made gestures like someone attempting to win a case in court as he spoke. "Miyuki-san has the right to do what she wants. However we all just want to get to know her better! That's all!"

"That's fine if she didn't mind, but she's obviously bothered by the fact that you people can't just leave her alone!"

"Onii-sama…"

"Don't say anything Miyuki. It's not your fault that this is happening…"

Tatsuya gave some comfort to Miyuki, who seemed apologetic to an accident that she felt responsible for.

"Besides, you people already spend a lot of time with her in class and at lunch. What's the problem with waiting for a day?"

"Shut up!" one of the Course 1 students shouted out. "You Weeds don't get to tell us Blooms what to do! We're superior than you in every way!"

"Maybe in some _magic_ aspects," Kaito smirked. "But some of you can't say that in the looks department…"

The atmosphere quickly grew intense. The light-brown haired boy's face turned from rage to a crazed smile.

"Oh really? Why don't I just show you how superior we Blooms really are?"

His voice was calm, but there was an obvious anger coming from it. He reached into his pocket and took out a pistol-shaped object which activated a magic circle. Leo began to run towards the boy, but about halfway there, Erika had somehow sped instantly right in front of the boy and knocked the object right out of his hand.

"It's a lot faster to just interrupt the sequencing step instead…" She gave a confident smile as Leo crossed his arms.

"I'll admit that was a pretty good technique, but wasn't that a bit too close towards me as well?"

"Oh? I was sure you'd be able to handle something if I made just a small mistake…"

"Why you…"

Before the duo could go any further, the rest of the group of Course 1 students had suddenly activated their CADs and prepared to fire magic at Tatsuya's group.

"Onii-sama!"

Tatsuya held an arm up in front of Miyuki. He shifted his head to the side as incoming magic had suddenly knocked into a CAD, interrupting the magic sequence and nullifying the magic altogether.

"Hey! What are you guys doing in school grounds?!"

Three people ran over to check on the situation. One of them was a tall young woman with short black hair and a red band around her arm that seemed to hint at a disciplinary-like group. Another was a young man with spiky black hair and bangs at the front of his head. The third was Saegusa Mayumi, whom Tatsuya had met earlier that morning.

"Using magic to injure other people on purpose is serious violation to the rules! You better have a good explanation for all this when we take you down for questioning!"

All the students there were either worried, frustrated, or seemed annoyed by this sudden turn of events. However Tatsuya had suddenly walked up to the girl with the band (who was also the one shouting) and gave a slight bow before talking.

"Excuse me, I feel like I should apologize for letting the demonstration get out of hand…,"

"Demonstration?" the short-haired girl asked suspiciously.

"Yes. I was interested in seeing how the Morisaki family's 'Quick-Draw' technique worked, so I had asked for a brief demonstration. However the whole thing seemed to have become too life-like, and some of the students here, who had accidentally misunderstood the situation, decided to act in self-defense."

"Are you sure about that? I'm pretty doubtful about what you just said…"

"The girl whose magic was interrupted, was planning on using a flash spell in order to try and diffuse the situation. While somewhat dangerous for the eyes, it wouldn't have caused any injuries either physical or mental. I hardly believe that that would be under the lines of 'using magic with ill-intent'"

"Oh? Seems like you're good at distinguishing magic as well as manipulating words…"

"I'm not very skilled in magic much myself, but I'm quite confident in my eyes…"

The short-haired woman still seemed suspicious of Tatsuya, but she held her tongue as she couldn't deny what he said.

"Now now Mari…" Mayumi suddenly got in-between the both of them. "It seems like Tatsuya was able to explain everything that happened, and it looks like he's not going to complain, so let's just leave it at that…"

Mari sighed. "Fine, since you're the Student President…"

"Thank you Mari!" Mayumi turned to Tatsuya with a smile. "I hope we will be able to meet again…"

The group of three left, leaving the rest of them to grumble or quietly put away their CADs while adjusting their uniforms. Tatsuya was left with a small sigh.

The fact that the Student President would support his excuse meant that she wanted something in return. Based on what he heard, it probably was going to be troublesome for him later.

"Hey you, Weed…"

He turned to see the light-brown haired boy (whom he identified as part of the Morisaki family) frowning at him.

"I'm not going to thank you for what you just did there."

"It's alright. I didn't expect thanks in the first place…"

That was definitely not a lie. Being questioned by the student council might draw too much attention on the first day, and that was something he didn't want from the get-go.

"My name is Morisaki Shun, like you guessed. But I refuse to accept a damn Weed like you. Miyuki-san should be around Blooms like us!"

Shun had turned and left the scene, along with the rest of the group, who scowled at Tatsuya's group as they left.

"Onii-sama…"

Miyuki went to her brother and the rest of her new friends with an apologetic look. Just before Tatsuya was about to calm Miyuki…"

"Um…"

The girl whose magic was interrupted was standing near the siblings. She suddenly gave a bow to them.

"Thank you for helping me out!"

The girl did intend on using a flash spell in an attempt to calm the group. However most people would have probably thought she was lying, or jump to conclusions, instead of listening to her. Tatsuya, who was most likely considered a victim, was able to see her spell process and clear any doubts.

"It's no problem. You did have good intentions after all…"

"I'm Mitsui Honoka. This is Kitayama Shizuku."

"Hello." The girl next to Honoka greeted.

"I'm Shiba Tatsuya. And you know Shiba Miyuki"

"Right! We're in the same class!" She paused. "Um… if it's not too much trouble, can we join you on the way to the terminal?"

"Hm?"

* * *

**Magic for Dummies! (Lesson 3 – The Eight plus Three basic types of magic)**

_The usual setting with the chalkboard with "8+3 Types" written on it, and Shiro, Riko, and Leo at the front as the leading figures._

Shiro: "Soryaaa!"

_Shiro makes a throwing movement as a truck suddenly launches itself towards Leo, who crosses his arms as the truck suddenly hits Leo and crumbles before turning over and falling off-stage._

Leo: "What the hell man! What was that for?!"

Shiro: "A brief demonstration of what we're teaching today…"

Leo: "But I could have been seriously injured! What if I had to leave?"

Shiro: "It's fine. We're all pretty much immortal in this segment anyways…"

Leo: "You don't get it!"

Riko: "If the two of you are done joking around, you mind if we get to the important matter in hand?"

Leo: "But…I wasn't…"

Shiro: "Fine…"

_Shiro snaps his fingers and a teaching baton appears in his hand._

Shiro: "So then, the Eight plus Three basic types of magic…"

Leo: "The Eleven basic types of magic?"

Shiro: "No, the Eight plus Three…"

Leo: "Yeah. Eight plus Three is eleven, so the Eleven…"

Riko: "No. Eight and three does make eleven, but that's not the case here…"

Leo: "Huh?"

Shiro: "Listen. There are four branches of classifications of modern magic, along with about two types per branch. The result is eight basic types of modern magic."

Leo: "Ok, I guess it makes sense so far…"

Shiro: "The eight types are

Acceleration - making an object speed in a certain direction,

Aggravation – a spell that puts pressure on an object,

Movement – similar to Acceleration but no intended direction and the fastest setting possible,

Oscillation – Repetition and Vibration,

Convergence – Focusing in a particular area,

Diffusion – manipulating atoms ions and molecules, usually to adjust temperature,

Emission – Discharging energy,

and Absorption – controlling how much elements and objects reacts."

Leo: "So that's eight. But then that doesn't explain…"

Riko: "**However**, there are three exceptions to these branches that are generalized classifications. Perception, Irregular, and Other."

Leo: "You mean Other and Irregular are different?"

Riko: "Irregular magic does not manipulate events, like the original eight. But it is still more specific than Other because it manipulate Psions directly. For example, magic that negates other magic is considered irregular since they directly affect the psions themselves instead of countering the events that occur."

Leo: "I see. Then the truck thing from earlier…"

Shiro: "That was to demonstrate Movement and Diffusion. Movement made the car rush, and Diffusion was used for your fortifying magic."

Leo: "Then the reason it's Eight plus three…."

Riko: "Because we have Eight main branches, and Three side branches"

Leo: "Now it starts to make sense…"

Riko: "Well hate to cut things short, but that's the only stuff we have today…"

Leo: "Eh? That's it?!"

Shiro: "Yeah, pretty much. So then…"

_Shiro and Riko are waving goodbye as Leo looks around in disbelief._

""See you later""

"Huh? Wait…what?!"

* * *

_**Well**_, _**another chapter come and gone**_. _**Hopefully next won't take too long...**_


	5. First day trouble? (Part 2)

_**Alright! I managed to get in a new chapter of Mahouka in. Though I doubt there will be much hype since the anime series ended. *Sigh*. Anyways, here's the next chapter...**_

* * *

A course one student was on the rooftop of a nearby building, where the conflict earlier ensued. The student whistled to himself as he smiled at the mixture of course one and course two students.

"Looks like we've got a few interesting guys here…"

He glanced at each of the student's faces before a small machine attached to his ear started to ring. He pressed a button on the side which made the ringing stop.

"What is it?"

"So, how does it look?" A high-pitched voice came from the machine, which was disguised to hide the tone of the speaker and dissuade any ideas of giving the listener any hints on his/her identity.

"Nothing really big to report so far. I don't think there's anything you really need to worry about at the moment."

"Well keep watch anyways. It always pays to be safe than sorry. And make sure you inform us the moment you notice anything unusual."

"Yeah, yeah. No need to repeat this a thousand times…"

"That's pretty rude Shiro, considering that…"

"Ah ah ah… communications could be tapped you know…"

"…"

There was a small beep as the other person hung up on their call. Shiro smiled as he turned his attention back to the group that started leaving. He gave a small chuckle before suddenly disappearing from sight.

* * *

"I see, so Tatsuya is the one who takes care of Miyuki's CAD."

The group was walking along the sidewalk to the transport vehicle station. Since they all lived in separate directions, the station would be the last stop for the group before splitting up in their separate ways.

"That's really impressive!"

"Is it really?"

Kaito was folding his arms behind his head as he asked Honoka.

"I mean it doesn't really seem all **that** impressive…"

"That's not true…" Shizuku interrupted. "Not only does a CAD require an understanding of Eidos, the subject needs to trust their engineer to perform the configuration. The smallest mistake could cause a dangerous aftereffect on the subject mentally. That's why it's really impressive."

"No, I get that." Kaito sighed. "I'm saying that it's not all that impressive considering that they are siblings. It's natural that they'd trust each other, isn't it?"

"Ah, I see…"

"I wonder if Tatsuya could help me out with my own CAD…" Riko smiled.

"I'm not confident enough to try working with a CAD I'm unfamiliar with."

"Oh? So you need to be more familiar with me before we can get anywhere?"

The young woman with wavy black hair gave a smirk as she crossed her arms while turning to face Tatsuya. Honoka and Mizuki's faces turned red while Leo gave a confused look.

"Oh, I see…" Erika also gave a smirk as she followed Riko's movements. "I guess I could do the same then…"

Tatsuya's expression didn't change, but his seemed to show a slight hint of exhaustion in dealing with the two in front of him.

"Perhaps one day, but I doubt that would happen anytime soon…"

"Fair enough…"

The two of them turned back to watch their path, leaving the atmosphere calm once again. However, unknown to all but Tatsuya and Etsu, there was a small chill that enveloped the area for a few seconds.

* * *

Early the next day, Tatsuya and Miyuki were heading towards the temple at the top of the hill. Miyuki held a small lunchbox wrapped with a cloth while using roller blades and movement magic to follow her brother, who was on foot and using magic himself to give a small boost in speed. The streets were empty, which left a feeling of calmness in the area as the siblings passed through.

Reaching the temple at last, Miyuki took off her roller blades and replaced them with her shoes as the two of them entered the gates. Almost immediately after taking their first few steps, an arm suddenly flung itself towards Tatsuya, who swiftly blocked the attack with his own arm.

"Miyuki, stay back…"

Several monks appeared with an aura that seemed to exhume the intent to beat their target through any means possible. To any normal person, this may have seemed like guards fighting a pair of apparent intruders. But to Tatsuya and Miyuki, this was obviously a training program from their instructor.

Tatsuya ran up to the group, evading each of their attacks swiftly while searching for a chance to counterattack. He knew that staying calm and careful timing would be the key to finishing this battle. Waiting for the opponents to exhaust themselves was also an option, but he needed to conserve his energy in case of any surprises later.

"My, that uniform looks really good on you Miyuki-chan!"

Miyuki turned to see a monk with a small scar across his right eye smiling at her.

"Kokonoe-sensei, it's good to see you again…"

Kokonoe Yakumo is a well-known ninjutsu master whose techniques were said to be self-taught. Although he claimed to be a monk, he was actually more of a shinobi and considered to be one of the top authorities in regards to Ancient magic.

"Hmmm…yes, that uniform is very cute on you Miyuki. I know that it would be very difficult for anyone to ignore…"

A small glint seemed to have appeared in his eyes, which made Miyuki nervously take a step back.

"S-Sensei?"

"The resemblances of fallen snow on a smooth surface, the traces of curves on a young and beautiful body, the hint of embarrassment that traces on the faces of young girls…yes, this is Moe…this is MOE!"

An arm with intent to kill suddenly fell towards the self-proclaimed monk, who immediately blocked it.

"Tatsuya, you were really planning on killing me there, weren't you…"

"Sensei, you have clearly rattled Miyuki with your words. I would appreciate it if you didn't do anything that would make her too uncomfortable…"

Kokonoe's students were all laid out on the ground nearby, exhausted and defeated from Tatsuya's attacks earlier.

"Well, I guess that I'm left…"

Taking the initiative, Kokonoe made a backflip to dodge Tatsuya's sudden leg sweep while simultaneously keeping a fair distance away from himself and the young boy.

"If I'm not careful, you may actually get in a blow or two…"

After pausing for a few seconds, the two of them dashed towards each other.

* * *

"So…that's why you seem kinda exhausted?"

Etsu was walking alongside the two of them at school after meeting up with them at the station. He claimed that he only just got there the same time as them, but the two of them had doubts that he was telling the truth. Nevertheless, they didn't say anything and pretended to just accept it.

"Yeah. I still have ways to go before I can defeat Kokonoe-sensei in battle."

This time Etsu was the one who seemed unconvinced, but like his relatives, he pretended like he didn't know any better and ignored the comment. They were all about halfway to school when suddenly…

"Tatsuya-kun!"

They all turned to see the student president waving to them from behind. As Mayumi caught up to them, Etsu noticed the momentary hint of disdain on Tatsuya's face. He couldn't blame him though, after all there was a really good chance that she was expecting something after lending her "aid" yesterday. Due to circumstances, Tatsuya wanted to keep a low profile during the first few weeks of the year at least. But with a student president who was as spontaneous and manipulative as the rumors said, it would probably throw off anyone's plans quite a bit.

"Actually Tatsuya, do you mind coming to the Student Council room at lunchtime with Miyuki today? I have something that I'd like to discuss with the both of you."

As expected.

"That sounds alright. What about you Miyuki?"

"Yes, I don't have any problems at the moment."

The three of them nodded in agreement before Mayumi ran off ahead of them towards the school. Etsu, who was feeling left out, shifted his eyes to Tatsuya.

"You realize that she'd probably want to get both you and Miyuki into the Student Council somehow, right?"

"Miyuki perhaps, but I'm just a Course 2 student. Even if she wanted to get me to join, she wouldn't be able to."

Etsu raised his eyebrow a bit before leaving the matter alone.

* * *

"So, why are you coming with me and Onii-sama?"

Miyuki gave a sharp glare at Etsu, who was following the Shiba siblings to the Student Council room.

"I don't have any plans to spend my lunchtime, so I thought I'd follow up with Miyuki and Tatsuya-nii."

"It's alright Miyuki. To be honest, I think it would be helpful to have Etsu join us in the meeting as well."

"If onii-sama says so…"

A few spark flew between Miyuki and Etsu before they reached their destination.

"Excuse me…" Tatsuya spoke as he knocked on the door.

"Enter."

The three of them entered the room to see a group of four people watching them. One was Mayumi herself, who seemed a bit surprised at the additional guest, but quickly regained her composure. Another was a young woman with short black hair and a slightly tomboyish face who was wearing a red armband. The third was a small orange-haired girl with a childish face who seemed to be very timid. The last was a long-haired young woman who seemed quite mature and well-prepared.

"I see that you've brought in an extra person…"

Etsu stepped up and gave a small bow.

"My name is Aiba Etsu. It's nice to meet you all."

"Etsu is a relative of ours, and I thought it would be nice if he joined us. I apologize if it was arrogant of me to make this decision without your consent."

"Oh no, it's no trouble at all…" Mayumi waved her hand as a sign that she didn't mind. She invited the three of them to sit down, which they all complied to.

"Now then, I suppose I should introduce the three other members here." She brought their attention to the long-haired student, who was the closest to Mayumi on her left.

"This is Ichihara Suzune, our treasurer. Of course, you may go ahead and call her Rin-chan!"

"President, you're the only who ever really calls me that…"

"Of course, you should remember the one next to her, Watanabe Mari."

Mari was the one who seemed to have been part of the disciplinary group yesterday.

"Mari is the chairman of the Public-Morals Committee, or the Disciplinary Committee. Whichever you prefer."

Mari nodded as a small greeting.

"And the one at the end is our secretary, Nakajo Azusa, or A-chan!"

"President! Please don't call me A-chan in front of the underclassmen!"

The childish personality along with her appearance made the nickname "A-chan" actually quit fitting. However the three of them kept this thought to themselves.

"Anyways, I think we should discuss this over lunch. I trust the three of you haven't eaten yet?"

School meals were provided to the students in two ways. The first was the classical way of staff members providing the meals to the students and teaching staff. However this is done in the cafeteria without any exceptions. The second was ordering meals using a special menu that was provided in certain rooms, where the meals would be delivered to them once they are prepared. The Student Council room contained this feature, so everyone except Mari, who had brought her own lunch, had ordered their lunch and began to eat once the deliveries were made.

"Watanabe-senpai, did you by chance make that lunch yourself?" Miyuki was looking at Mari's lunch, which was a small self-made bento. Although the contents themselves didn't really stand out, the arrangement was beautifully made.

"Yeah, I did. Are you surprised?"

"Not really. Whether you cook regularly or not can be determined by simply looking at your fingers."

Tatsuya was looking at Mari's fingers, which had a few bandages wrapped around to hint her attempts in making lunch herself. Mari seemed to have noticed this, and hid her hands out of embarrassment.

"I know!" Miyuki lightly clasped her hands together. "Onii-sama, let's start bringing our own lunches from now on."

"Well I admit, your lunches are quite amazing Miyuki. However I can't think of any place where we would be able to eat them without any interruptions."

Rin gave a smile which seemed to both admire and mock the siblings. "You sound more like a married couple than a pair of siblings."

"Really? Well I admit, if were weren't related by blood," the atmosphere changed to a very warm and loving vibe. "I'd love to have her as an intimate other…"

This sudden declaration surprised nearly everyone else in the room, except for Etsu who seemed to have accepted this as something natural and silently sipped his tea.

"I'm joking, of course."

""Eh?!""

Azusa was expected, but Miyuki's reactions seemed to have caught Tatsuya off-guard. He turned to Miyuki, who apologized with a red face. Mayumi coughed to gather their attention.

"Anyways, back to the matter at hand." She folded her hands over her half-finished meal as she began to talk with a more serious tone. "Miyuki, we the Student Council would like to invite you to join us as a member."

According to the rules in regards to how the Student council is chosen, the Student president is decided by majority vote from the entire school. The president is allowed to decide the other members of the student council and even appoint the head chairman of each committee, with a few exceptions. One such exception is the Disciplinary Committee, in which the members would appoint three officers each to the Student Council, the Extracurricular Activities Federations, and the Faculty Committee, while the chairman is chosen via an internal election.

"As per the annual tradition, the Student Council would appoint the first year representative into the Student Council. In other words, Miyuki, we would like you to join us as part of the Student Council. Will you accept?"

Hearing these words, Miyuki turned to Tatsuya who gave a nod of approval. There weren't any problems with Miyuki joining the student council, and the benefits would greatly outweigh the few, if any, cons of accepting.

Miyuki nodded in understanding before speaking up.

"President, I trust you know about the results of my brother's entrance exams?"

Tatsuya's eyes widened in surprise to this unexpected turn. Etsu shifted his eyes interested, without showing any signs of stopping Miyuki.

"Of course. Out of all the Course 2 first years this semester, his results were the most…well… baffling, to say the least."

"If the Student Council is trying to recruit talented individuals, then I believe that my brother is a far better choice than me."

"Hey, Miyuki…"

"I am honored that the Student Council would like to have me join them, and I would like nothing more than to accept this offer," Miyuki was pleading at this point. "But isn't there any possibility that you could have my brother join as well?"

Tatsuya sighed whereas Etsu smirked.

"Unfortunately, that would be impossible."

The one who began to explain was the treasurer Ichihara Suzune (Rin).

"The Student Council officers must be chosen from among the Course 1 students. This is not based on preferences, but out of regulation. If this rule is to be overturned, then the entire student body must vote on changing the system."

In other words, the only way a course 2 student like Tatsuya would be able to join the student council, is if every member of every committee makes a unanimous vote to allow such a thing to happen. One vote against it, and nothing would change at all.

Miyuki bit her lip lightly before calmly bowing. "My apologies…"

Miyuki sat down in defeat as Tatsuya raised a hand to ask a question.

"Pardon me, but what about having Aiba Etsu join the Student Council in my place?"

Everyone turned their attention to Etsu, who was surprised before trying to shift his attention to something else.

"Etsu?"

"Etsu is a Course 1 student, so he fits the qualifications to join, and I believe that his skills are efficient enough to do well enough in the coming year."

"Is that so?" Mayumi playfully watched as Etsu began to feel more uncomfortable the longer she stared. "Well then, I will have Etsu shadow the members of the Student Council before making a final decision. Miyuki, I assume that you agree to our proposal then?"

"Yes, it would be an honor to join you all…"

"Then A-chan will be in charge of explaining your duties."

"Excuse me…"

Mari held up a hand to interrupt.

"The fact is that the Council can't have a Course 2 student unless the rules were overturned. But if I remember correctly, the Disciplinary Committee isn't restricted by such things. And it just so happens that we have at least one spot open…"

"Nice idea Mari!" Mayumi seemed to practically jump at the opportunity that was presented in front of them. "Then the Student Council shall nominate Shiba Tatsuya as part of the Disciplinary Committee!"

"Wait a minute," The usually expressionless student had suddenly stood up. "I appreciate the offer, but have you really thought this out? In the first place, you haven't explained what the duties of the Disciplinary Committee are!"

"Well we haven't exactly explained to your sister her duties as part of the Council either." Rin countered with a small smirk.

"Even so, to have a Course 2 student like me suddenly join a well-known group is…"

"Let's all calm down for a second…"

In response to the student president's words, the room went silent as Tatsuya sat back down.

"Listen Tatsuya, the Disciplinary Committee is essentially part of the main security of the school. Their jobs involve, but are not necessarily limited to, preventing the misuse of magic and dealing fair punishment in regards to such disorderly conduct."

"In other words, they're supposed to make sure that in order to prevent any excessive violence, magic does not get out of hand and to apprehend the culprits involved." Tatsuya slammed his hands onto the table in front of him. "But that's exactly why it makes no sense! Choosing a Course 2 student with poor practical skills to deal with such matters?"

"It's alright," Mari responded in a nonchalant matter. "You don't even really need to do much fighting yourself if you don't want to. Just let me know and I'll deal with the matter myself."

"But…"

Just then, the bell signaling the end of the period rang throughout the halls.

"Well then, we can continue this after school." Mayumi took her nearly finished tray and placed it aside. "Please come back here so that Miyuki and Etsu may begin their training. But I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from bringing any more unexpected guests with you."

* * *

"Well, I think that went pretty well…"

Etsu, Miyuki, and Tatsuya had already begun heading back to their classes. Tatsuya face was a bit grim as they left.

"Cheer up Tatsuya-nii. It's not like it's a bad thing to join up and keep a better eye on Miyuki at the same time. It's a win-win…"

"The problem isn't about what I can or can't do. It's about the reaction from the school itself."

Before he could go into further detail, Tatsuya noticed something else that made him suddenly stop. Etsu and Miyuki noticed his sudden halt, and was about to ask when they also suddenly froze after shifting their line of sight.

Just ahead of them was a young man with velvet-colored eyes and silver hair along with a lean frame. The young man was smiling brightly while his hands were folded behind his back. While no ill-intent was being given, the Shiba sibings and Etsu were acting quite wary of him.

"Miyuki-chan, Tatsuya, Etsu, it's very nice to meet you…"

"Good afternoon…Byakuya-san…"

"Now now, no need to act all formal with me. After all, we're all family here!" The one called Byakuya had begun to rub the back of his neck with his left hand, which wore a single fingerless black glove.

"By the way, 'mother' sends her congratulations for getting in. She's quite proud you know…"

"I'm sure that she is…" Miyuki lied calmly. There was no way that that woman would feel proud of them for any of their actions.

Byakuya sighed.

"I guess you aren't in the mood to talk right now. How about we do this another day?"

He walked right passed the three of them with both hands in his pockets. Nobody moved, much less spoke a single word, until Byakuya was a few steps away.

"By the way, there's been a spy seen in school. Make sure you take care of it, for Miyuki's sake…"

After leaving the area, the three of them let out a small sight of relief. This person was someone that one could not ignore, especially if they knew his power.

Kotou Byakuya. A man who's ability rivals high-class magicians, one of the members of the Yotsuba clan, and the son of Yotsuba Maya, head of the Yotsuba clan and the aunt of the two siblings.

* * *

**Magic for Dummies! (Lesson 4 – Relationship between Magicians and "Normal" humans)**

_The usual setting with the chalkboard carrying a cartoon drawing of a figure with a wizard hat and a plain figure standing next to each other. Byakuya, Rin, and Tatsuya are chosen as the leading figures._

Rin: "It seems that I have been chosen to teach in this segment. Though I wonder why…"

Byakuya: "Perhaps it is your cold and thoughtless personality?"

Rin: "What was that?"

Byakuya: "Sorry, maybe it was the wrong way to put it. I meant that you wouldn't show much of a bias view on this matter. After all, you seem to have talent of being straight with the facts as proven in this chapter…"

Rin: "I see. Perhaps you are right…"

Tatsuya: "Maybe we should begin the lesson right now, before any more time is wasted."

Rin & Byakuya: "Agreed."

_Glasses appear on the faces of each figure, along with a teaching baton._

Byakuya: "Glasses, huh? Seems like this is some attempt to appeal to the readers in some way…"

Tatsuya: "Regardless, it shouldn't stop us from going on with the lesson."

_Tatsuya taps on the chalkboard, causing pictures to form and animate themselves._

Tatsuya: "The relationship between magicians and non-magicians is a simple yet complicated one. Since the existence of magicians and magic were known and became wide-spread, their influence and power had grew immensely in a short period of time. This of course, brought upon suspicions and conflict regarding those who _could_ use it, and those who _should_ use it."

Rin: "Magic was initially created as a form of weaponry, therefore it would be best to think of the conflict like the matter of owning any weaponry or firearms. While most people don't simply abuse magic and will use it to protect themselves when needed, those who can't use magic will throw suspicion towards those who can, simply out of jealousy or fear."

Byakuya: "Even ignoring the more minor troubles, magicians are both loved and hated for their ability to use magic. While the public loves magicians for their ability for providing necessities and defending their homes from invaders, they scorn them all the same for being treated well-off and for greater benefits on the same job. In short, magicians seem to get preferential treatment over the non-magicians."

"HOLD IT!"

_Suddenly, a spinning figure crashes through a window and lands in front of the leading figures. The figure is revealed to be Riko, who shoots a sentai-style pose with glass shards stuck in her hair, before brushing away the damage casually._

Rin: "Another change in the lesson…"

Riko: "I know that magicians seem pretty well off, and we are pretty cool with our powers and such, but that's no excuse for saying that magicians have it easy!"

Tatsuya: "That's correct. Although magicians do receive more benefits and preferential treatments, it is actually because they are actually considered more like tools and soldiers for the country. Like any new and destructive weaponry, or convenient tools, the government wants to keep them safe and ready for use for as long as possible. There is also the fact that magicians are only allowed to work in magic-related fields, no matter what, even at the cost of receiving lower salary than ordinary workers."

Riko: "Then why complain?"

Rin: "It depends. The fact is that many people conveniently happen to ignore facts that do not support their views. Non-magicians do not think much about how magicians are really treated or how harsh their lifestyle is. Instead they happen to focus mostly on the benefits that a magician receives, and how it seems unfair for the non-magicians."

Byakuya: "That's actually why terrorist groups like Blanche are able to manipulate the public so easily and gain many members. They claim that they want to make sure that all are treated 'equally', but the truth is that many members are simply greedy for more money in their wages. They do not think about how a magician is risking his life to earn those wages, and simply demand more for themselves."

Riko: "So even the term 'magician' is being used as a scapegoat? How scary…"

Tatsuya: "Well then, that shall be all for today's lesson. Riko, you should probably find some way to clean the mess you made."

Riko: "Ehhhh?!"

_Tatsuya, Rin, and Byakuya bow before leaving the classroom wordlessly. Riko is looking around wildly for something to clean the mess up with before recalling something._

Riko: "Wait a minute! You guys didn't end it properly!"

_She sighs._

"Anyways, I guess this is it. Until next time…."

She waves before dashing off to find a cleaning tool elsewhere.

* * *

_**So, what you guys think? I didn't get to edit through the last chapter, and I'm sorry for the long wait. Exam week and all, time was a bit of a problem.**_

_**Anyways, I'm going to continue this as long as I've got at least a couple of reviews here and there. Not sure what else to comment, but I'm hoping that we get a season 2 for the anime!**_

_**Thanks for waiting, and here's hoping I can make an interesting story here.**_

_**P.S. I will not be doing the "Blanche" arc, and will be replacing it with a different, original arc instead. Just in case you guys start thinking it would get kinda boring...**_


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